DEVELOPMENT OF A SOY-BASED CREAM CHEESE

Various amounts of blended tofu, oil, salt, carrageenan, pectin and maltodextrin were used to develop soy cream cheese products that were trans fat free, with texture properties similar to those of commercial dairy cream cheese. Response surface methodology predicted three formulations with similar spreadability value of that obtained from commercial cheese. Carrageenan and salt were useful to impart the desired firmness, while maltodextrin provided body to the product. Pectin introduced viscous behavior to the final texture but was proven useful in preventing syneresis. Rheological study at 25 and 4C manifested that, although the developed products mimicked the texture of the commercial sample, they had less elasticity. Chemical analysis revealed that the soy cream cheeses had lower fat and higher protein and fiber contents than the commercial sample. They were also stable against syneresis and oil separation over storage of 20 days. The production of soy-based products as alternatives to dairy products has attracted much attention recently. In addition to their lactose-free and reduced fat content, soy-based products are also a good source of protein. There has yet to be any published data on the development of a soy-derivative cream cheese. This paper emphasizes the rheological development of soy cream cheeses in the presence of food hydrocolloids. Their main and interaction effects on texture properties were assessed to mimic those of dairy cream cheese. A comprehensive and systematic approach of formulating the soy cream cheeses was applied by using response surface methodology. In addition, the chemical and nutritional properties of the products were also evaluated and compared with those of the commercial dairy counterpart.